Just like any other form of agriculture, algae farming also comes with the challenge of dealing with unwanted pests. One of the most difficult to manage algae parasites is known as A. protococcarum, and is the subject of research recently revealed by a collaborative effort between Sapphire Energy, the University of Alabama and San Diego State University.
The new research identifies some of the key characteristics of A. protococcarum, like morphology and life history, which can improve the biology of algae strains and further develop open-pond cultivation techniques to better resist the destructive capabilities of this particular algae pest.
The bottom line is that this kind of research is improving the large-scale commercial cultivation of algae biomass.
Check out Sapphire’s website for the press release and link to the complete manuscript.